This invention relates to a shelf assembly and, more particularly, to an improved shelf assembly for refrigerators that includes a unique spill resistant shelf design and is economical to manufacture. Typical household refrigerators/freezers include compartments, each of which include a plurality of shelves. The shelves may be mounted such that they are stationary or adjustable relative to the refrigerator cabinet, as is well known. The most common adjustment of the shelves relates to the vertical position of the shelf within the compartment. The vertical adjustment of the shelves allows the shelves to be located to better accommodate food product containers of the height used in the specific refrigerator. Thus, a refrigerator user that stores only short food product containers may be able to have more shelves in a particular refrigerator than a user that stores tall food product containers.
Cantilevered mounted refrigerator shelves, that is a shelf that is supported by support arms or beams which are mounted in a cantilever fashion from slotted brackets attached to the rear wall of the refrigerator cabinet, are currently popular. Cantilevered mounted refrigerator shelves can be dimensioned such that their side and rear edges are spaced from the walls of the compartment a distance sufficient to permit air circulation or convection through the compartment. This is a very desirable feature since it facilitates homogenous temperature distribution and avoids thermal stratification in which a range of temperature zones develop in the compartment.
Food product containers holding liquid are occasionally spilled in a refrigerator. When a spill occurs, other items stored in the refrigerator can become soaked and contaminated. Also, the spilled liquid often flows downward from one shelf to another shelf. For these reasons, it is desirable to contain a spill to a limited area that is on the shelf upon which the spill occurs. This will minimize food spoilage and simplify cleanup. Refrigerator shelves are available that are intended to contain spilled liquid to the shelf where it is spilled and, thus, minimize, if not preclude, downward flow of the spill. However, such shelves often do not have the capacity to contain all of the fluid that spills and in time the seals on these shelves develop leaks.
Available spill resistant shelves include a shelf comprised of multiple-molded components, including shelf sections having a molded perimeter rim member and a pair of support brackets. Each component has an internal metal support. However, when assembled, the internal metal supports are not physically interconnected and, thus, the stability of the shelf is dependent upon the flexibility of the mold material. The mold material contributes little to the utility of the shelf and consumes a relatively large volume within the interior of the refrigerator. The process of setting up for each molded component and the molding process itself are time consuming. As a result, this shelf has a high manufacturing cost.
A shelf component having uncluttered, simple, clean lines has the aesthetic appeal of an efficient, versatile and useful product. Available shelf assemblies require a final assembly of the component parts. This final assembly is a time consuming task that requires skilled labor. If the final assembly is done by the consumer, it is often done improperly and the component parts are vulnerable to becoming lost. Also, food can become trapped in cracks and crevices between adjacent, assembled parts which can result in sanitation and cleaning problems. There is clearly a need for a spill resistant shelf that has the above desirable attributes, clean lines, ease of cleaning and modular adaptability to various storage tasks and which is fully assembled in the manufacturing process.
The present invention provides an improved shelf assembly that overcomes one or more of the problems set forth above.